Vera Grita, a Woman of Peace
Redaktor strony The figure of Vera Grita, a humble Ligurian teacher and Salesian Cooperator, shines as a...
salvation
Why don’t you speak? (1868)
St John Bosco In the following recounted speech, delivered by Don Bosco between 30 April and 1 May...
The Christmas Grotto, where Heaven meets Earth
P. Fabio ATTARD The mystery of Christmas begins with a scandal of love: the Great becoming small. It...
It’s your turn! said the gravedigger (1868)
In the dream that Don Giovanni Bosco recounted to his young people on the evening...
The Souls in Purgatory. A museum dedicated to their memory [with image gallery]
In the heart of Rome, on Lungotevere Prati, lies one of Christianity’s most unique places,...
Pains of Hell (1887)
In this passage, taken from his 1887 memoirs, Don Giovanni Bosco recounts the most disturbing...
Nostalgia
Fr Bruno FERRERO I am a medical oncologist with long years of professional work. I started attending the...
Let me be alone; I suffer too much (1867)
The following dream, recounted by Don Bosco to his young people in 1867, begins with...
In Don Bosco’s footsteps: Blessed Michael Rua (1837-1910)
Fr Pierluigi CAMERONI “We will always go halves!” At 9 years of age Michael (already fatherless) was admitted...
A Raging Bull; Humility, Work and Temperance (1876)
This vivid dream narrative, recounted by Don Bosco at the end of the 1876 spiritual...
Monsters that Hurt Young People (1865)
In this lively account, dated 24 February 1865, Don Bosco speaks to his pupils about...
Apparition of the Blessed Virgin on the Mountain of La Salette
Don Bosco presents a detailed account of the “Apparition of the Blessed Virgin on the...
Crown of the Seven Sorrows of Mary
The publication “Crown of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” represents a cherished devotion that St....
The shepherdess, the sheep and lambs (1867)
In the following passage, Don Bosco, founder of the Valdocco Oratory, recounts a dream he...
Prophets of Forgiveness and Gratuity
In these times, where day after day the news communicates experiences of conflict, war, and...
The Education of Conscience with St. Francis de Sales
P. Wirth MORAND It was most likely the advent of the Protestant Reformation that brought the issue of...
The Seven Joys of the Madonna
At the heart of St. John Bosco’s educational and spiritual work, the figure of the...
The Tenth Hill (1864)
Don Bosco’s dream of the “Tenth Hill”, recounted in October 1864, is one of the...
Don Bosco attends a devils meeting (1884)
The following pages take us into the heart of Saint John Bosco’s mystical experience, through...
Don Bosco and the Sacred Heart. Protect, atone, love
In 1886, on the eve of the consecration of the new Basilica of the Sacred...
St Francis de Sales instructs him. Future of vocations (1879)
In the prophetic dream Don Bosco recounted on 9 May 1879, Saint Francis de Sales...
The Prophecies of Malachy. The Popes and the End of the World
The so-called “Prophecies of Malachy” represent one of the most fascinating and controversial prophetic texts...
Is Confession Still Necessary?
The Sacrament of Confession, often overlooked in today’s hectic world, remains for the Catholic Church...
Young people’s gifts to Mary (1865)
In a dream recounted by Don Bosco in the Chronicle of the Oratory, dated May...
St Dominic Savio. The places of his childhood
P. Natale CERRATO Saint Dominic Savio, the “little great saint,” lived his brief but intense childhood among the...
Father Crespi and the Jubilee of 1925
In 1925, in anticipation of the Holy Year, Father Carlo Crespi promoted an international missionary...
The way to hell paved with feeble resolutions (1873)
San Giovanni Bosco recounts in a “good night” the result of a long plea to...
Don Bosco promoter of “divine mercy”
Fr Francesco MOTTO As a very young priest, Don Bosco published a booklet, in tiny format, entitled “Exercise...
A Blessed Easter of the Resurrection 2025!
“But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw...
Don Elia Comini: martyr priest at Monte Sole
Prof. Lodovica Maria ZANET On December 18, 2024, Pope Francis officially recognized the martyrdom of Don Elia Comini (1910-1944),...
The dream of the 22 moons (1854)
In March 1854 on a feast day, after evening prayer Don Bosco gathered all the...
Vera Grita, pilgrim of hope
Vera Grita, daughter of Amleto and Maria Anna Zacco della Pirrera, was born in...
150th anniversary of the first missionary expedition. Missionary Day
The Mission Sector of the Salesian Congregation prepared the usual materials for Salesian Mission Day...
Leaving for the missions… trusting in dreams
Don Bosco’s missionary dreams, without anticipating the course of future events, had the flavour of...
A Mysterious and Prophetic Wheel (1861)
The wise man’s heart,” we read in Holy Scripture, “knows times and judgments; for there...
“The Roman Stations”. A millenary tradition
The “Roman Stations” are an ancient liturgical tradition that, during Lent and the first week...
The Life of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles
The culminating moment of the Jubilee Year for every believer is the passage through the...
The Jubilee and devout practises for visiting churches. Dialogue
Saint John Bosco fully understood the importance of Jubilees in the life of the Church....
The handkerchief of purity (1861)
On June 16, Don Bosco gave the boys the spiritual nosegay to pray for...
Hiking to Heaven (1861)
We shall now narrate another inspiring dream of Don Bosco which occurred on the nights...
Faith, our shield and our victory (1876)
“When I devoted myself to this part of the sacred ministry, I intended to consecrate...
Life of Saint Paul the Apostle, Doctor of the Gentiles
The culminating moment of the Jubilee Year for every believer is the passage through the...
The Jubilee of 2025 and the Jubilee Basilicas
On December 24, 2024, on Christmas Eve, the Pope opened the Bronze Door in St....
Fifth missionary dream: Peking (1886)
During the night of April 9th, Don Bosco had a new missionary dream, which he...
Fourth Missionary Dream in Africa and China (1885)
From time to time, Divine Providence would reveal the future before the very eyes of...
A heart as big as the shores of the sea
P. Stefano MARTOGLIO A new time is given to us: from the Heart of God to the heart...
Blessed Michael Rua.The Consecration of our Pious Society to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
On 24 October last, the Holy Father wished to renew devotion to the Sacred Heart...
I killed her for a piece of bread
A man who had not entered a church for twenty years hesitantly approached a confessional....
Third missionary dream: air travel (1885)
Don Bosco’s dream on the eve of the missionaries’ departure for America is an event...
The Salesian presence in Ethiopia and Eritrea
The Salesian mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea had its beginnings in 1975, when the first...
The safe tradition of Blessed Michael Rua (2/2)
(continuation from previous article) 2. Some traits of the theological virtues in Fr Rua2.1. Fr...
The second missionary dream: across America (1883)
Don Bosco told this dream on September 4, at the morning session of the...
Remember the sermon
One Sunday, around noon, a young woman was washing salad in the kitchen, when she...
The safe tradition of Blessed Michael Rua (1/2)
“Be good, trust in God and paradise will be yours” (Blessed Michael RUA) Blessed...
The Snake nd the Rosary (1862)
Part I At the “Good Night” on August 20, 1862, Don Bosco, after giving some...
First missionary dream: Patagonia (1872)
Here is the dream that saw Don Bosco decide to start the missionary apostolate...
St Francis de Sales forms his collaborators
Francis de Sales did not wish to become a bishop. “I was not born...
A pergola of roses (1847)
Don Bosco’s dreams are gifts from on high to guide, warn, correct, encourage. Some of...
The Flood and the Life-saving Raft (1886)
No one can save themselves from the fury of the waters in great floods. Everyone...
Correcting “rebellious children” with St Francis de Sales
In September 1594, Francis de Sales, provost of the cathedral, arrived, accompanied by his...
The turning point in the life of St Francis de Sales (2/2)
(continuation from previous article) Beginning of a new stage From this moment on, everything would...
The turning point in the life of St Francis de Sales (1/2)
After ten years of study in Paris and three years at the University...
The dream at 9 years of age
The series of Don Bosco’s ‘dreams’ begins with the one he had at the age...
Don Bosco’s educational journey (2/2)
(continuation from previous article) The market for young workers The historical time in which Don...
Don Bosco’s educational journey (1/2)
Following the paths of the heart Don Bosco wept at the sight of the boys...
The dream of the two columns
Among Don Bosco’s dreams, one of the best known is the one known as the...
Nino, a young man like so many… meets the purpose of life in his Lord
Nino Baglieri was born in Modica Alta on 1 May 1951 to his mother...
Dream of the Ten Diamonds
One of Don Bosco’s most famous dreams was the one called the “Dream of the...
1954-2024: 70 years since the canonisation of Dominic Savio
The canonisation of Dominic Savio took place under the symbol of the Immaculate Conception. It...
Prayers and invocations attracting indulgences
We sometimes here the question, what is the most powerful prayer?The wording is certainly wrong,...
Holy Easter 2024!
Christ is RISEN! Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead… (cf. 2 Tit 2:8) A...
Life of Saint Joseph, spouse of Mary Most Holy, earthly father of Jesus Christ (3/3)
(continuation from previous article) Chapter 20. Death of St Joseph. – His burial.Nunc dimittis servum...
Life of Saint Joseph, spouse of Mary Most Holy, earthly father of Jesus Christ (2/3)
(continuation from previous article) Chapter 9. The Circumcision.Et vocavit nomen eius Iesum. (And he named...
Life of Saint Joseph, spouse of Mary Most Holy, earthly father of Jesus Christ (1/3)
Saint Joseph is patron of the Church and also co-patron of the Salesian Congregation. From...
Do holy water, blessings, and other sacramentals still have value?
We are witnessing today an indifference or contempt for sacramentals. Blessings on people, water, religious...
Salesian Protomartyrs: Aloysius (Louis) Versiglia and Callistus Caravario
Louis and Callistus: the same missionary vocation for the salvation of souls, but a different...
The “misunderstood” God of St Francis de Sales
A curious episode In the life of Francis de Sales, a young student in Paris,...
And the star stopped over a wheelchair
Ángel Card. FERNÁNDEZ ARTIME Encounters on Epiphany with wonderful people with a good heart and a radiant faith Dear...
Don Bosco’s last will and testament
With a will, as we know, someone disposes of their belongings for the time...
The dream at 9 years of age. Genesis of a vocation
The 9-year-old’s dream presented in ten points, the genesis of a heavenly vocation, confirmed by...
Laura Vicuña: a daughter who “begets” her mother
Stories of wounded families We are used to imagining the family as a harmonious reality,...
Don Bosco and ecumenical dialogue
Ecumenism is a movement that arose at the beginning of the 20th century among...
“It was like heaven”. The first Christmas Mass at Valdocco
The first Christmas Mass celebrated by Don Bosco at Valdocco was in 1846. After obtaining...
The boat
One evening, two tourists who were at a campsite on the shores of a lake...
The Exercise for a Happy Death in Don Bosco’s educational experience (1/5)
P. Aldo GIRAUDO The annual All Souls Day commemoration presents us with reality that no one can deny:...
The train timetable
I knew a man who knew the railway timetable by heart, because the only thing...
Don Bosco. A Hail Mary at the end of Holy Mass
St John Bosco’s devotion to Our Lady is well known. The graces received from Mary...
Salesian presence in the Caribbean
Beneath the Caribbean sun, in villages full of life and joy, Don Bosco continues to...
Servants of God John Świerc and eight Companions Martyrs. Pastors who gave their lives
Extremist ideologies, that is, ideas raised to the rank of absolute truths, always bring suffering...
The Heart of Gold of Education
Why devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is part of the DNA of the...
Don Bosco’s benefactors
Doing good for the young requires not only dedication but also huge material and financial...
ADMA – A way to holiness and apostolate according to Don Bosco’s charism
The Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA) was founded on 18 April 1869 by...